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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

We had all gathered for our annual
Christmas Eve festivities. The house was decorated with the sights and sounds
of Christmas – a green tree with ornaments and decorations in shades of beige.
Garland adorned the railings and the walls. Christmas music floated from iPod
dock. We were laughing and talking, stuffed from eating enough food to feed the
block. There was the traditional fare of turkey, dressing Mac & cheese &
string beans & so much more. There was something to please even the
pickiest palettes.

While we were anxiously waiting to
play what we’ve come to expect as a hilarious game of the white elephant gift
exchange, my sister and her friend, both retired teachers were weaving this
elaborate tale of how Santa manages to see children all over the world in a
single night! The adults were laughing at the absolute absurdity of their
story, but the children were enraptured! They had been tracking Santa on the
iPad, and he was in Canada headed to the United States.My nephew told us that Santa sent him an
email. I shook my head because even Santa had to get with it and move into the
digital age.

Their bizarre story had something to
do with Santa being able to protect the reindeer as he traveled through the
sound barrier. And because he traveled through different time zones it was
possible for him to see all the children in one night! It didn’t hurt that he
also traveled faster than the speed of light, and that he had the help of an elf in every
state. I laughed at the
silliness of my sister’s story, and went home with it in my head. I woke up with the story on my mind--
thankful for its true meaning. Their story represented innocence. It
represented faith. It represented good will.

I thought about the various ways I
saw children preparing for Santa’s visit. There were of course the numerous
pictures of children posing with Santa, but there were also the Official Zay
Zay and Jo Jo videos, a picture on Facebbook of siblings praying over the
cookies they baked for Santa, and of course the tracking of Santa on the iPad.

Every year the postal service actually gets hundreds of thousands of letters to
Santa, and there are people who adopt children to make their Christmas wishes
come true. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Letters to
Santa program. In lieu of Christmas gifts this year, my family chose to sponsor
a family in need. This whole week I’ve been constantly reminded of the
countless ways that people bring joy to the less fortunate during the holiday
season.We may not be fat, white men with
beards in red suits, but we are Santa.

In a time when there is so much ugliness
in the world, children deserve to have something magical. We all do. What's wrong with
that?

Monday, December 17, 2012

Friday, December 14 started out like any other day. I'd been
tired all week, but I knew at the end of this school day that I'd be on vacation
until the new year. We were having holiday parties, and middle school students
were either going on a field trip (6th grade) or going to a dance in the
afternoon (7th & 8th grade). The energy in the building crackled like
a November bonfire.

Students in my 8th grade writing class were bouncing
off the walls. So I had them decompress by journaling while listening to
soothing music. Everybody was smiling. Happy. Excited. Little did I know that
in a small town in Connecticut, a deranged gunman was spraying six and seven
year-olds with bullets.

During lunchroom duty, while I was making sure that meatballs didn’t take
flight or cupcake icing doubled as make-up, murder and mayhem was erupting in
Sandy Hooks Elementary School. When I first learned of the shooting, I couldn’t
watch it or read about it. It was too close to home, and unbelievably scary. I
teach in an elementary school prek to 8th, and I know the vulnerability of
being in a public space charged with the safety of children.

So while I was ushering children out of the building for
winter break, I didn’t want to know what went so horribly wrong that some
depraved person would open fire on children in classrooms. I couldn't wrap my
mind around the reality of it as I scanned the faces of the students that I see
every day. I couldn’t imagine me or my colleagues being gunned down in our
school—a place that supposed to be a safe haven.

We do disaster drills of all types, and I’m constantly
stressing to my students the importance of following directions and taking the
drills seriously because I take the safety of my students seriously. Parents
send their children to school in good faith that their children will be there
waiting for them at the end of the day. But on Friday a sicko in Conneticut
shattered that faith.

About two years ago, I was in a school where we were doing a
lockdown drill, and it was ironically on the same day that there was shooting outside
a school in Mexico and the teacher kept the children safe and calm singing the
Barney song. The gunman that seemed so far away that day is too close for
comfort now.

I have been to the funerals of my students and it is heart
wrenching. Earlier this week, I asked my students to write about where they see
themselves in 10 years, and one wrote dead and another said in jail. My
students are in 7th and 8th grade. They see no future. The
students in Connecticut were in kindergarten and first grade; their future was
snatched before it even started. Children deserve the chance to grow up, but how
do we prevent our children from becoming part of the carnage in an increasingly
violent and dysfunctional society?

Friday, December 14, was our last day before break, a time to enjoy family
friends and refresh for the new year. But for the families of 27 people in
Connecticut it was their last day of life. Can someone tell me how to deal with
that?

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I am my mother’s child; I love food. I am not my mother's in
that I do not love to cook good food. I grew up on freshly prepared meals made
from scratch. So, I appreciate the rich, savory taste of food well-cooked food.
But I’m happy with someone else being in the kitchen.

When I got in high school, I fell into the habit of eating fast food. And my
mother warned me about always eating out of a greasy bag. I slowed down on the
fast food, but not dining out. I just upgraded my dining experience. I spent
lots of money on meals. Hung out with my friend Denial and thought I could eat
whatever I wanted as long as I worked out. Wrong!I remember this guy telling that if I was
working out I, but I wasn’t eating right I was fighting myself. His words found
a permanent parking space in psyche. It didn’t change my dietary habits, but
the words didn’t budge.

I was loving some food and it was loving me back! So much in fact that it
wouldn't leave me. And truth be told, I didn’t want it to go anywhere because I
wasn’t doing what I needed to do to part company. But back in the spring, I decided
it was time to make a change, and I needed an intervention. So, I joined Weight
Watchers. I’ve lost more than 30 pounds, and I still like to eat out! And lo
and behold, the God of Good Food was listening to my prayers. She said that I
didn’t have to starve myself all day to dine or nor did I have to stick to the
b-o-r-i-n-g bland low calorie options. She knows I like to taste of food on my
tongue.

So, she led me to Bombay
Spice Grill and Wine – a restaurant devoted to healthy Indian food. A
friend and I went before I joined WW, and I enjoyed it. A group of us were
going out one evening, and I suggested Bombay Spice. Since joining WW, I have
gotten into the habit of planning my meals. I know what I’m going to eat, and
how much it’s going to cost me. So, you can imagine the size of the smile on my
face when I found out that not only did Bombay Spice boast a healthy menu, they
had the Weight Watchers point values listed online. I was in heaven!

The food is satisfying especially if you like a little spice
in your life. The appetizers are great to share which means I use even fewer
points. I love the chef’s surprise where you choose ingredients and a sauce and
allow the chef to prepare your meal. There are vegetarian options. It has nice
ambiance and is perfect for a Girls’ Night or a couple's outing. I have a
new attitude about food, and Bombay Spice Grill and Wine fits perfectly into my
new lifestyle.